Gunhed (film)

1989 Japanese film

Gunhed

Directed by| Masato Harada
Written by|

* Masato Harada
* James Bannon[1]

Produced by| Tomoyuki Tanaka
Eiji Yamoura
Starring|

* Masahiro Takashima
* Brenda Bakke
* Yujin Harada
* Kaori Mizushima

Cinematography| Juniichi Fujisawa[1]
Edited by| Fumio Ogawa[1]
Music by| Toshiyuki Honda[1]

Production
companies

* Toho
* Nippon Sunrise
* Bandai
* Kadokawa
* Imagica[1]

Distributed by| Toho

Release date

* 22 July 1989 (1989-07-22) (Japan)

Running time

| 100 minutes[1]
Country| Japan
Language| Japanese

GUNHED (ガンヘッド, Ganheddo) is a 1989 Japanese science fiction tokusatsu mecha action film directed by Masato Harada. The film stars Masahiro Takashima and Brenda Bakke in the lead roles.

## Plot

[edit]

In the year 2038, the world is ruled by supercomputers powered by a rare and powerful element called Texmexium. Years earlier, the Kyron-5 AI, created by the Cybortech Company and housed on the isolated island 8JO, rebelled against humanity, sparking a devastating war. Though a specialized GUNHED (Gun UNit of Heavy Eliminate Device) battalion was sent to shut it down, they were defeated. The island was abandoned, left to Kyron-5’s control—until a group of tech scavengers arrives seeking profit in the ruins.

The scavenger team aboard the Mary Ann, led by Captain Bansho, includes Brooklyn, a skilled but reluctant former pilot; Babe, a brave and determined crew member; Bombbay, Barabbas, and Boomerang. They infiltrate the facility, but Kyron-5's automated defenses quickly eliminate several of them—Boomerang and Boxer die outside, while Bansho and Barabbas are killed inside an elevator. Brooklyn, Babe, and Bombbay survive and discover Sgt. Nim, a wounded Texas Air Ranger on a mission to recover the stolen Texmexium and destroy a rogue Bio-Droid.

Nim joins the scavengers, but the Bio-Droid soon kills Bombbay. The survivors find a vial of Texmexium in Kyron-5's core, only to be attacked by the Bio-Droid again. Babe sacrifices herself, falling into a vat of chemicals with the Bio-Droid—though she survives, fused with the machine in a tragic transformation.

Brooklyn and Nim encounter Aerobot, Kyron-5’s lethal guardian robot, and narrowly escape. They meet Seven and Eleven, two children who are the last human survivors of the original custodians of the island. While Eleven is mute, her silence hides a dangerous secret: Kyron-5 embedded a hidden activation code in her, making her an unwitting tool in its plan for world domination.

Meanwhile, Brooklyn and Seven uncover the remains of the old GUNHED battalion. Brooklyn repairs and revives GUNHED 507, confronting his fear of piloting. Through GUNHED, they learn that Kyron-5 halted its attacks 13 years ago to wait for the final form of Texmexium to be developed. With the Bio-Droid still hunting them and Kyron-5's plan nearing completion, Brooklyn prepare to launch an assault.

Nim couldn't wait for Brooklyn and decided to travel ahead with Eleven. While traveling to the upper-levels, the Bio-Droid took back the Texmexium from Nim. After notifying Brooklyn what happened, Nim decided to head to the core to retrieve the Texmexium back. Brooklyn realized they couldn't wait anymore and launched GUNHED. As Brooklyn battled his way through the heavily armed facility, Kyron-5 manipulated Eleven to activate the code. Nim realizes this just in time and prevents Eleven from executing the code.

During the climactic battle, GUNHED fights Aerobot but is ultimately disabled. Brooklyn finishes the fight manually, destroying Aerobot in a final showdown. The Bio-Droid returns one last time, but the fused Babe sacrifices herself with a grenade to destroy it and save the others.

With its plans foiled, Kyron-5 initiates a self-destruct sequence to obliterate the island. In a final act of heroism, the damaged GUNHED launches itself into Kyron-5, buying the team 15 minutes to escape. Brooklyn, Nim, Seven, and Eleven flee aboard the Mary Ann, narrowly escaping the explosion. As they fly away, GUNHED transmits its final message: “Mission complete.”

## Cast

[edit]

* Masahiro Takashima as Brooklyn
* Brenda Bakke as Sergeant Nim, Texas Air Ranger
* Aya Enjōji as Bebe
* Eugene Harada as Seven
* Kaori Mizushima as Eleven
* Brewster Thompson as Barabbas James
* Doll Nguyen as Boomerang
* Jay Kabira as Bombbay
* Randy Reyes as Gunhed (Voice)
* Mickey Curtis as Bansho, the captain of the Mary Ann
* Yôsuke Saitô [ja] as Boxer
* Michael Yancy as the Narrator

## Release

[edit]

Gunhed was released theatrically on July 22, 1989, in Japan where it was distributed by Toho.[1] In the Philippines, the film was released as Killer Tank on December 17, 1992.[2] It was released in the United Kingdom in 1994.[3] Gunhed was released in the United States by ADV Films in both an English dub and English subtitled format on November 30, 2004.[1]

## Reception

[edit]

In a contemporary review, Derek Elley wrote in Variety that the film was "derivative of films by Ridley Scott and James Cameron" and described Gunhed as "hokey" and critiqued "cheesy dialogue", "unflashy f/x" and "a bland pop-synth soundtrack" while noting "good model work".[4] Elley concluded that in Gunhed, "Things pick up in the final half-hour, which eventually delivers the action goods without springing any major surprises."[4][5]

From retrospective reviews, Donald C. Willis wrote about the film in his book Horror and Science Fiction Film IV, specifying that Gunhed was a "exuberant action/effects spectacular" with "an effect-a-second pace and an Alien, lost-in-technology feel to its human interaction."[6] The Time Out Film Guide referred the film as "impenetrable tosh (at least in the English version)".[7]

## Video games

[edit]

There are two video games based on Gunhed:

* Blazing Lazers (Gunhed), released for the PC Engine (TurboGrafx-16) in 1989.
* Gunhed: The New Battle, released for the Famicom (Nintendo Entertainment System) in 1990.[8]
* The Gunhed and Brooklyn were featured as downloadable content in Super Robot Wars X-Ω, the 2015 IOS Android installment of Bandai Namco Entertainment's tactical role-playing crossover Mecha game franchise, Super Robot Wars.[9]

In the original 1990 MSX2 release of Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake, the character portrait for Holly White is based on Brenda Bakke in Gunhed.[10]

## Footnotes

[edit]

1. ^ a b c d e f g h Galbraith 2008, p. 365.
2. ^ "Opens Today". Manila Standard. Kamahalan Publishing Corp. 17 December 1992. p. 19. Retrieved 15 November 2020. "AUS$75,000,000 Super Production!"
3. ^ Galbraith 1996, p. 204.
4. ^ a b Elley, Derek (March 6, 1994). "Gunhed". Variety. No. 46\. p. 16. Retrieved June 14, 2016.
5. ^ "yesmovies". Retrieved 10 April 2023.
6. ^ Willis 1997, p. 216.
7. ^ Pym 2010, p. 436.
8. ^ Wong, Alistair (21 September 2019). "Famicom Title Gunhed: The New Battle Fan Translated Into English". Siliconera. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
9. ^ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: "SRW X-Ω GUNHED Debut PV l スーパーロボット大戦X-Ω 「GUNHED l ガンヘッド」期間限定参戦記念PV". YouTube. 10 April 2020.
10. ^ Derboo, Sam (October 2012). "Tracing the Influence". Hardcore Gaming 101. Retrieved 24 July 2024.

## References

[edit]

* Galbraith, Stuart IV (1996). The Japanese Filmography: 1900 through 1994. McFarland. ISBN 0-7864-0032-3.
* Galbraith, Stuart IV (2008). The Toho Studios Story: A History and Complete Filmography. Scarecrow Press. ISBN 978-1-4616-7374-3.
* Willis, Donald C. (1997). Horror and Science Fiction Films IV. Scarecrow Press. ISBN 0-8108-3055-8.
* Pym, John, ed. (2010). Time Out Film Guide. Time Out. ISBN 978-1-84670-208-2.

## External links

[edit]

* Gunhed at IMDb

* v
* t
* e

Films directed by Masato Harada

* Gunhed (1989)
* Kamikaze Taxi (1995)
* Bounce Ko Gals (1997)
* Jubaku: Spellbound (1999)
* Densen Uta (2007)
* The Shadow Spirit (2008)
* Climber's High (2008)
* Chronicle of My Mother (2011)
* Kakekomi (2015)
* The Emperor in August (2015)
* Sekigahara (2017)
* Baragaki: Unbroken Samurai (2020)
* Bad Lands (2023)

* v
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* e

Sunrise theatrical features

Pre–2000s|

* Mobile Suit Gundam I (1981)
* Mobile Suit Gundam II: Soldiers of Sorrow (1981)
* Mobile Suit Gundam III: Encounters in Space (1982)
* The Ideon: A Contact (1982)
* The Ideon: Be Invoked (1982)
* Crusher Joe (1983)
* Dougram: Documentary of the Fang of the Sun (1983)
* Choro-Q Dougram (1983)
* Xabungle Graffiti (1983)
* Arion (1986)
* Dirty Pair: Project Eden (1986)
* Bats & Terry (1987)
* Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack (1988)
* Mobile Suit SD Gundam (1988)
* The Five Star Stories (1989)
* City Hunter: .357 Magnum (1989)
* Mobile Suit SD Gundam's Counterattack (1989)
* Gunhed (1989)
* Mobile Suit Gundam F91 (1991)
* Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: The Last Blitz of Zeon (1992)
* Mobile Suit SD Gundam Festival (1993)
* Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz -Special Edition- (1998)
* Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team: Miller's Report (1998)
* Firefighter! Daigo of Fire Company M (1999)

2000s|

* Crest of the Stars: SPECIAL (2000)
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* Cowboy Bebop: The Movie (2001)
* Inuyasha the Movie: Affections Touching Across Time (2001)
* Turn A Gundam: Earth Light (2002)
* Turn A Gundam: Moonlight Butterfly (2002)
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* Inuyasha the Movie: Swords of an Honorable Ruler (2003)
* Steamboy (2004)
* Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Special Edition: The Empty Battlefield (2004)
* Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Special Edition: The Far-Away Dawn (2004)
* Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Special Edition: The Rumbling Sky (2004)
* Inuyasha the Movie: Fire on the Mystic Island (2004)
* Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam A New Translation: Heirs to the Stars (2005)
* Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam A New Translation II: Lovers (2005)
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* Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam A New Translation III: Love is the Pulse of the Stars (2006)
* Kaiketsu Zorori: The Battle for the Mysterious Treasure (2006)
* Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny Special Edition: The Shattered World (2006)
* Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny Special Edition: Their Respective Swords (2006)
* Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny Special Edition: Flames of Destiny (2006)
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* Musha Kero: Debut! Sengoku Planet Ran Big Battle!! (2008)
* Armored Trooper VOTOMS: The Pailsen Files Movie (2009)
* Keroro Gunso the Super Movie 4: Gekishin Dragon Warriors (2009)
* Kero 0: Depart! Assembly of Everyone!! (2009)

2010s|

* Keroro Gunso the Super Movie: Creation! Ultimate Keroro, Wonder Space-Time Island (2010)
* Chō Denei-ban SD Gundam Sangokuden Brave Battle Warriors (2010)
* Gintama: The Movie (2010)
* King of Thorn (2010)
* Colorful (2010)
* Mobile Suit Gundam 00 the Movie: A Wakening of the Trailblazer (2010)
* s-CRY-ed: Alteration TAO (2011)
* Sacred Seven: Wings of Gingetsu (2012)
* s-CRY-ed: Alteration QUAN (2012)
* Tiger & Bunny: The Beginning (2012)
* Psychic School Wars (2012)
* Zorori's Big Big Big Big Adventure! (2012)
* Gintama: The Movie: The Final Chapter: Be Forever Yorozuya (2013)
* Short Peace (2013)
* Kaiketsu Zorori: Protect It! The Dinosaur Egg (2013)
* Tiger & Bunny: The Rising (2014)
* Aikatsu! The Movie (2014)
* Love Live! The School Idol Movie (2015)
* Mobile Suit Gundam Thunderbolt: December Sky (2016)
* Accel World: Infinite Burst (2016)
* Zegapain Adaptation (2016)
* Code Geass Lelouch of the Rebellion (2017–2018)
* Mobile Suit Gundam Thunderbolt: Bandit Flower (2017)
* Mobile Suit Gundam: Twilight AXIS Red Trace (2017)
* Mobile Suit Gundam Narrative (2018)
* Love Live! Sunshine!! The School Idol Movie: Over the Rainbow (2019)
* City Hunter the Movie: Shinjuku Private Eyes (2019)
* Code Geass Lelouch of the Re;surrection (2019)
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2020s|

* Mobile Suit Gundam: Hathaway's Flash (2021–present)
* Mobile Suit Gundam: Cucuruz Doan's Island (2022)
* Sand Land (2023)
* City Hunter The Movie: Angel Dust (2023)
* Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Freedom (2024)
* Code Geass: Rozé of the Recapture (2024)
* Zegapain STA (2024)
* Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX: Beginning (2025)

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